吳式太極專題: 吳家太極拳在香港的傳播, 拳式功理法討論

1954年1月17日，香港發生了一件白鶴拳弟子陳克夫挑戰吳家太極掌門宗師吳公儀的大事，立即震動了港澳武壇和一般市民大眾。此戰雖然不足半小時，但不單令吳家太極植根港澳，廣傳東南亞及美加地區，並且引發了為時二十年的武術熱，催生了新派武俠小說，可謂影響深遠。

吳陳比武的前因

當年港澳以南拳為主，白鶴拳則為香港極有名氣的外家拳派，歷史較長，門徒眾多，掌門人為吳肇鍾，弟子以陳克夫、陸智夫等最為突出。吳家太極卻是北方門派， 據說以柔可剛，可四兩撥千斤，一時亦吸引不少學員，風頭頗勁。致令本地武人心有不甘。吳公儀為北方太極拳大宗師吳家第二代掌門鑒泉的長子，香港鑒泉太極拳社主持，其長子吳大揆，在廣州佛山一帶與人交手，所向披靡，戰績顯赫，父子二人可稱過江猛龍。白鶴拳陳克夫年富力強曾習西洋拳擊，可稱本地猛虎。陳可夫本 是白鶴的少壯派人物，與年近花甲的吳公儀不同輩份，但陳克夫提出非和公儀較量不可。故此醞釀至1954年方由澳門名流何賢提出以擂臺比武的形式，為鏡湖醫院籌款賑災，吳家終於答應由公儀親自出戰。

消息傳出，立即成為港澳報紙的頭條新聞，並掀起熱潮。香港向來禁止公開比武，乃改在澳門新花園。比武當日，澳門的大小酒店客似雲來，會場門票一早售完，不 少是自香港專程而來。與會者多為武林及社會上有名望的人士，如楊澄甫座下四大弟子之一，以鐵指聞名的董英傑，鷹爪門宗師陳子正高足劉法孟，西洋拳高手李劍琴與名伶馬師曾、紅線女、新馬仔、鄧碧雲、芳豔芬、張瑛，富商何賢等。而且特由澳門總督夫人剪綵，綠村電臺做現場直播。比賽採用西洋擂臺，原定比賽六個回 合，每一回合五分鐘。大會鑒於並無先例可援，由每位高手公證先行試招，議定不得起高腳過膝，吳陳二人先行簽“生死狀”，電影製片家吳九出動了三架攝像機從不同角度同時拍攝，可謂前所未見。

是日，陳克夫穿白西洋拳服，雙肩搭深色毛巾，高大瀟灑；公儀穿傳統中式長袍，個子不大，卻有謙謙儒者之風度，但脫下長袍，即以健碩身形引起全場一片哄動。 第一回合開始公儀用七星勢，快步跳躍，陳克夫則採用白鶴拳對敵的雙手向前架式，互相對峙。陳先攻，用遊鬥之法，一觸即退，保持距離，不讓吳近身施展太極的 長處。吳于稍探陳虛實後，便採用以靜制動，等對手一近，就擊其前臂麻穴，雙手輕如打棉花狀態。戰至不久，吳穿破陳的護手，擊中陳面，陳立即使出白鶴拳的 “豹子連環手”密集進攻，猛攻十多招，拳拳打近吳面部，逼吳至繩邊。吳閃身出繩間，瞬間以“翻身撇身捶”掛擊，陳鼻部中拳流血，吳連環追擊，雙方以中路架 式對打。由於陳鼻流血不止，染滿白衣，評判主任何賢急忙鳴鍾。這個回合本來應是五分鐘，只打了兩分鐘就停。休息時何賢見陳血染征袍，問他還繼續否？陳表示流鼻血並不要緊，休息後可繼續再戰。第二回合，陳仍採取急攻戰略，吳則減少走動幅度，以逸待勞，陳繞步走了半圈，即使出“白鶴兜羅手”閃電擊中吳的腰部， 但吳的太極最善於小圈子貼身短化，不單沒有受傷，反而借力抽空左手，右手使出“肘底看捶”擊中陳的胸部，跟著重擊陳右前臂，致令陳右手失去戰鬥能力，不得 不高腳踢吳。吳以陳此舉乃屬犯規，於是以牙還牙，用左分腳反擊，中裁判見兩人似乎都動了真火，生怕再打下去會出事，有違慈善本意，即由評判主任按鍾叫停， 此回合只打了一分鐘。經評判團緊急商量後，決定戰果為雙方不勝、不和、不敗而告終，結束比賽。太極白鶴雙方的目的已達，不需再強分勝負，吳陳於是握手離場，皆大歡喜。回到香港後雙方都大擺慶功宴，互相邀請對方參加，雙吳（吳肇鍾、吳公儀）杯酒言歡，握手搭腳拍照留念，公儀、大揆笑不攏嘴，吳肇鍾、陳克夫亦謙謙微笑，為籌得大筆善款，造福鏡湖醫院病者而乾杯。

新派武俠小說的誕生

由於當時香港只有麗的和無線兩個電臺，連電視臺尚未問世，吳陳比武雖成了熱門話題，但當時並無電視直播，新晚報編輯羅浮見有關比武的號外，一出便被搶購一空，靈機一動便請人一位擅寫文章的同事陳文統，開始寫武俠小說，陳君以梁羽生的筆名先後寫了《龍虎鬥京華》、《龍虎下江南》出版，立即大受歡迎。一年以後，因梁不能應付更多稿約，乃由其摯友查良鏞以筆名金庸試寫了《書劍恩仇錄》另外還有一位以“百劍堂主”筆名寫作的。時稱三人為“三劍客”。那時流行的武術小說主要是描寫珠江三角洲一帶流行的南拳，注重招式，故事亦多以少林英雄洪熙官、方世玉、黃飛鴻等為主角。加上人情、歷史的穿插和運用當時西方文學筆法，其中如金庸的《飛狐外傳》、《射雕英雄傳》、《倚天屠龍記》等，此種新寫法大受歡迎，瞬即為古龍、司馬翎等作者做模仿，成為一種新派武俠小說的潮流。 金庸的新派武俠小說，一直寫到1973年才完結，然後開始所謂“增刪潤色，大段改寫”重刊於明報晚報。在這二十年間雄居於港澳東南亞以及歐美海外華人世界，七十年代傳到臺灣，八十年代傳到國內，終成一代大師。

吳家太極拳的壯大

當時新派武俠小說，以報紙、書本、電影、電臺廣播劇等種種形式籠罩著港澳、東南亞、甚至英、美、加所有華人聚居的地方。影響所及，上至達官貴人，下至平民百姓，最受影響的包括50至70年代一班年青人，令他們醉心于武學。其中有後來的吳家門人，或投到其他門派的比比皆是。令到武術在當時的香港，不論太極、 螳螂、洪拳、詠春都極為興旺。吳家因求學者眾多，大事擴展，開設了灣仔、旺角分社，並購置佐敦道保文大廈為總社。同時應各地要求，先後派公儀、大揆、大新、大齊到星、馬、菲、加各地設館，遂奠定吳家太極拳在東南亞及海外的較大優勢。

此時吳家弟子猛將如雲，多為潛心苦練之輩。公儀徒弟，多為家境較為寬裕，其中年齡長、較重拳學理論者，當推鍾岳平、王宜琰等。大揆手下則較多年輕、重搏擊實戰之輩。在港澳、美、加，廣為人知。其中最為熟悉的就是鄭天雄，他在臺灣的東南亞國術擂臺大賽上奪標，其後自立門戶，成立了香港太極學會，以其經驗訓練弟子，在多次武術擂臺均能膺三甲。所以得香港政府市政局任命主理全香港政府資助的公開健體太極班。由此吳家太極遂得以深入到一般市民。然鄭君于成名後，對大揆仍極為敬重。大揆主持的旺角分社，其弟子如主任葉樹良、譚耀等均於日後各有成就。另有幾名入室弟子如陳昌立、徐汝松等多就讀於外國教會名校如喇沙書院。此校武風極盛，同學之間、習武、講手非常普遍。畢業生中較有名者如陳欣建等。亦有不少習武同學，包括一位習詠春又當拍戲的同學，其後這位同學留學美國，潛心苦練，終於成材，他就是一代功夫之王的李小龍。這就是香港本世紀第一次功夫熱，由吳陳比武的五十年代初直至七十年代，有二十多年。至於第二次就是 70年代由李小龍掀起的。第三次是由電影《少林寺》掀起。香港的武俠電影亦自此而興旺，歷久不衰。李小龍、成龍、李連杰等功夫明星終於名揚世界。金庸所以成為一代武俠小說大師、報業鉅子，都從這次比武而起。這一點亦於1994年由明報出版，冷廈著的《金庸傳》之中用了近一百五十頁清楚記載。可以說，沒有吳陳比武，就沒有新派武俠小說，亦沒有以後的金庸和梁羽生。

........  wutaiji2

以在下所知鄭天熊非吳大揆門下,鄭師門人是否應澄清一下。

.......  Vincent

聞就吳公儀先生,吳公揆先生兩父子, 生前教弟子門人的架式,風格都不太一樣, 不知wutaiji2 先生可否介紹一下, 為什麼兩父子教的內容會如此不一樣?

.......  太癡

<電影製片家吳九出動了三架攝像機從不同角度同時拍攝，可謂前所未見。>

誠請貼上整 個過程之錄影片，供大家欣賞。先謝。

......  方唐

小弟一向不大理會門派歷史，道聽途說了多少就多少，否則就是沒完沒了的是與非，對功夫應該沒有助益。我當年只知道鄭天熊師公是跟隨他叔父鄭榮光學習太極拳，我有一位已經退休的舊同事，今年差不多70歲了，他當年就是鄭榮光的弟子，因此他知道一些當年師公練功的點滴。當年他們練功是每朝跑沙灘練氣，跟著在沙灘上練摔撻、推手、散手等練習，套路只用來熱身，內功當期時是要入室弟子才教，因此他也沒有學到。
我與吳家太極拳很有緣份，九歲那一年遇到第一位老師，他教的是傳統88式，和我後來在中學時期學的一樣，到了徐師父處所學的鄭師公一系明顯有點不同，但主要變化在圓拳之上，方拳反而是近似的。
_________________
看似有象而無象

聞說吳大揆是祖父鑑泉公從小訓練的所以架式近鑑泉公。吳公儀少年有隨少侯公習技所以架子較小不知確實否? 又聞吳大揆生前將真傳分為五個部份分傳五位入室弟不知wutaiji2 先生可一二?

......  Vincent

太癡 寫到:

聞就吳公儀先生,吳公揆先生兩父子, 生前教弟子門人的架式,風格都不太一樣, 不知wutaiji2 先生可否介紹一下, 為什麼兩父子教的內容會如此不一樣?

sorry to write in english, some problem in chinese input here on this computer.
1. wu taikwai was trained up by his grandfather, kam chuen as at that time, wu kungyee[wky] already took up a lot of the teaching assignments of his father kamchuen, and was seldom at home.
2. for kungyee. similar situation occurs, as when he was young, his father Kam chuen was always busy and running around. According to WKY, kam chuen often travel to far away provinces to teach by aeroplane. Quite a big thing those decades really.
He was significantly influenced by the next door neighbour Siu Hau {YSH}, who taught him. To his disciples and student, wky used to express great gratitude, respect, and sentiments towards YSH.

.......   Wutaiji2

方唐 寫到:

<電影製片家吳九出動了三架攝像機從不同角度同時拍攝，可謂前所未見。> 誠請貼上整 個過程之錄影片，供大家欣賞。先謝。

Not NG KAU
but LO KAU. He was very famous movie and theatre tycoon. A rich man in HK and Macau. He made quite some cantonese movies by Yu Lai Chun and seems to have a big Garden In Macao

.......  wutaiji2

樹影 寫到:

小弟一向不大理會門派歷史，道聽途說了多少就多少，否則就是沒完沒了的是與非，對功夫應該沒有助益。我當年只知道鄭天熊師公是跟隨他叔父鄭榮光學習太極拳，我有一位已經退休的舊同事，今年差不多70歲了，他當年就是鄭榮光的弟子，因此他知道一些當年師公練功的點滴。當年他們練功是每朝跑沙灘練氣，跟著在沙灘上練摔撻、推手、散手等練習，套路只用來熱身，內功當期時是要入室弟子才教，因此他也沒有學到。 我與吳家太極拳很有緣份，九歲那一年遇到第一位老師，他教的是傳統88式，和我後來在中學時期學的一樣，到了徐師父處所學的鄭師公一系明顯有點不同，但主要變化在圓拳之上，方拳反而是近似的。

whether the title door-man, disciple, student is apt is one thing. Master Chen Tin Hung [CTH] did learn for significant time from wu dai kwai [wdk]
CTH is great fighter and made most important contribution to HK Taiji world, esp. Wu style. Many have this view.
However, when he fought and injured people back in his home village, he did come to HK to his uncle Cheng Wing Kwong , who recommended him to learn from wdk.
I still have with me, old folk K that practice with him in wdk's place at that moment. And when CTH was ambushed in Wanchai, Gooseneck Bridge, by sword painted black, this old folk visited in hospital. He is still alive and around.
also, when cth first started up, he had a difficult period, I have one other old folk L,who learn from him, in the afternoon in Argyle Street, and they went out to drink coffee as a custom ,only two of them, when they chatted ernestly. Those years, he got marriage problem and little students. he frankly told this old folk why he refused to accept he learned from the kam chuen Association openly...one simple word... it is market strategy.
And later, CTH made good achievement, one friend of mine, Y, was his team captain for fighting in Wanchai QE Stadium, that was time of Tong Chikin. CTH also told Y frankly about that he learned from WDK.
There are others who were with CTH in South China sports Assn, under WDK those years, they are in their 80-90s, and they are still active and healthy and available for yumcha with me now.
I know about this early since the 1950s, when CTH started up, got famous, teach the USD people, and then got the control of the HK USD parks. Not just hearsay.

Of all books of HKWu style, other than the gold book [ you can say better than the gold book] the best photo record of the wu form is CTH's yellow book. Any one who learns from WDK would know he was always saying 'SAAT YUNG' Practical. And this is the slogan of CTH at start up. CTH, WDK do look similar in approach and emphasis on short time training, simple approach, and throw/takedown skills.
There are few others with this , probably in Wu style all over the world,.....even
Shanghai Kamchuen, Beijing Wu style, and even the KamChuen under Wu kungyee.
over the world we now have those lineage like LeeShuk[ LeeJeungShut]-MokChi-YiHoo-LeeManCharn[mai sung Lee] , good in throw.....from WDK.
we also got DanDancherty in UK from CTH
their similarity? throw.

DOOR MAN, seems a downgrade word but actually learning from someone else and getting as good as the teacher or even better always happens.

.......  wutaiji2

Vincent 寫到:

聞說吳大揆是祖父鑑泉公從小訓練的所以架式近鑑泉公。吳公儀少年有隨少侯公習技所以架子較小不知確實否? 又聞吳大揆生前將真傳分為五個部份分傳五位入室弟不知wutaiji2 先生可一二?

first part already answered.
second part, yes, 5 disciples. But only chui yu chung and chan cheung lap really learned the chisang part well. And they practiced together. However, only ccl continues and progressing very much indeed.
chui was busy in the Educational College until he retired some years ago to Canada. His skill was still there, but not much progress compare to decades ago. I guess he will progress again after he retired. But I have no more pushhand with him after that.
Lee Kwok Shu was another prominent , on HoiSang, distance and power combat. he did fight, and he can fight. Fierce and direct, really the style of wdk. However, he does not have the finesse of ccl.

I really cannot ask wdk whether he separate his stuff to 5 persons. as the other two disciples seems not remarkable.
The other reason, according to ccl and lks, seems that wdk did it according to their personality , physique and situation. More than really separating his art into 5, this saying is abit like a novel....

.....  wutaiji2